The Israelites Are Treated Cruelly in Egypt
1 The sons of Jacob who went to Egypt with him, each with his family, were 2 Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, 3 Issachar, Zebulun, Benjamin, 4 Dan, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher. 5 The total number of these people directly descended from Jacob was seventy. His son Joseph was already in Egypt. 6 In the course of time Joseph, his brothers, and all the rest of that generation died, 7 but their descendants, the Israelites, had many children and became so numerous and strong that Egypt was filled with them.
8 Then, a new king, who knew nothing about Joseph, came to power in Egypt. 9 He said to his people, “These Israelites are so numerous and strong that they are a threat to us. 10 In case of war they might join our enemies in order to fight against us, and might escape from the country. We must find some way to keep them from becoming even more numerous.” 11 So the Egyptians put slave drivers over them to crush their spirits with hard labor. The Israelites built the cities of Pithom and Rameses to serve as supply centers for the king. 12 But the more the Egyptians oppressed the Israelites, the more they increased in number and the farther they spread through the land. The Egyptians came to fear the Israelites 13-14 and made their lives miserable by forcing them into cruel slavery. They made them work on their building projects and in their fields, and they had no pity on them.
15 Then the king of Egypt spoke to Shiphrah and Puah, the two midwives who helped the Hebrew women. 16 “When you help the Hebrew women give birth,” he said to them, “kill the baby if it is a boy; but if it is a girl, let it live.” 17 But the midwives were God-fearing and so did not obey the king; instead, they let the boys live. 18 So the king sent for the midwives and asked them, “Why are you doing this? Why are you letting the boys live?”
19 They answered, “The Hebrew women are not like Egyptian women; they give birth easily, and their babies are born before either of us gets there.” 20-21 Because the midwives were God-fearing, God was good to them and gave them families of their own. And the Israelites continued to increase and become strong. 22 Finally the king issued a command to all his people: “Take every newborn Hebrew boy and throw him into the Nile, but let all the girls live.”
Ovaisrael mave tatumisiwa mOengipte
1 Omana wovazandu va Israel, mba tjindira kOengipte puna Jakob, auhe puna eṱunḓu re, owo nga: 2 OoRuben na Simeon na Levi na Juda; 3 na Isakar na Sebulon na Benjamin; 4 na Dan na Naftali na Gad na Aser. 5 Jakob wa ri nozondekurona omirongo hambombari. Josef tjandje weya rukuru mOengipte. 6 Moure woruveze ndo Josef novanatje vaihe nomuhoko auhe otji va koka. 7 Nungwari Ovaisrael va ri norukwato oruingi. Otjivaro tjawo tja rira otjingi, nu va kara nomasa. Va takavara, nga tji ve ura mehi.
8 Notji mwa zikwa ombara ombe mOengipte, ndji ha tjivirwe Josef. 9 Oyo ya tja nai kotjiwaṋa tjayo: “Mamu tjiwa kutja Ovaisrael nambano va takavara, nu va rire ovanamasa pu eṱe, nga tji va rire ondirisiro kweṱe. 10 Ngatu ve pahere ondunge kutja ave ha takavarere ko. Tjapo tji pe ya ovita, mave rikutu kuna ovanavita na eṱe, ave tu rwisa nave kambura ehi retu.” 11 Nu pa zikwa ovatatumise vovahuurwa okuveungurisa nomasa kutja ve mune ouzeu. Ovaisrael va tungira Farao ovihuro vyomapwikiro oOpitom na Ramses. 12 Ovaisrael nangarire kutja aave tatumisiwa nai, va yenda amave takavarere ko tjinene nga Ovaengipte tji va uta okuvenyengwa nokuvetira. 13 Owo opu va za okuungurisa Ovaisrael oviungura vyoukarere. 14 Ominyo vyawo vya tetarisiwa i oviungura vyondatumisire vyomunoko novyozohima, noviungura ngamwa avihe movikunino; ii, oviungura vyondatumisire avihe novyoukarere mbi, va ungurisiwa i Ovaengipte.
15 Ombara ya Engipte ya raera kovakazendu ovapandukise vOvaheberi, Sifra na Pua, ai tja; 16 “Eṋe tji mamu pandukisa ovakazendu Ovaheberi namu munu omuatje kutja omuzandu, mu zepeye; nungwari tje ri omukazona, mu eseye a hupe.” 17 Nungwari ovakazendu ovapandukise va ri nondira ku Ndjambi nave ha tjiti otja tji va raerwa i ombara ya Engipte, nounatje ouzandu ave u esa kutja u hupe. 18 Nombara yOvaengipte ya isana ovakazendu mba ovapandukise nai pura ku wo ai tja: “Okutjavi tji mamu tjiti nai, tji mwa isa ounatje ouzandu kutja u hupe?”
19 Novakazendu ovapandukise va zira ku Farao ave tja: “Ovakazendu Ovaheberi kave ri otja imba vOvaengipte; owo ve panduka oupupu. Omukazendu omupandukise ngunda e hiye ya ku wo, tjandje va panduka rukuru.” 20 Komuhingo mbwi otjiwaṋa tja takavarera ko natji kara nomasa tjinene. Nu Ndjambi wa yandja ouindandu kovakazendu ovapandukise. 21 Owo tjinga ava ri nondira ku Ndjambi, eye otje ve pa omaṱunḓu. 22 Korusenina Farao wa yandja omaraerero kovandu ve avehe na tja: “Okanatje okazandu akehe kOvaheberi ku make pandukwa, ke yumbeye monḓonḓu Nil. Nungwari inga okakazona akehe ke eseye kehupe.”
